Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-16
EMIN BEY.

Beyo ond the fact that he is laboriug in the
cause OF civilization somewhere in the Sou
dan. very little is known in this country OF
Emin Bey. Yet he is truly remarkable
man. 1t is now eight years since General
Gordon appointed him Governor General
OF the Egyptian Equatorial Pro vince, dis
trict so large that Great Britain would lie
in corner OF it. Emin Bey, who was an
Austrian doctor, started upon his work
without any flourish of trumpets. His task
looked like an impossible once but Gordon
was constantly doing impossible" things
himself, and expected as much of his
lieutenants. When Emin Bey reached the
provinces he was to rule over if he could
reduce then to order, he found things about
as bad as they could be. That was in 1873
In three years he had swept the slave.trad-
er out of that enormous tract of land, with
it's 1900, 600 inhabitants, and these gentry
have never dared to show their faces since
The provinces had 80 far been governed at
adefcit OF f3S .OOOp per annum; by the end Of
1881 there was a surplus of $4,000. Al
though the Governor-General had estab-
Used several public works in that time,
the expenses OF which were considerable,
this surplus was not obtained by more tax
alton. The change has been brought about
simply by good government, economy and
the suppression of abuses.
Then came the rumors of troubles in the
Soudan. Emin Bey was one OF the first to
foresee then and to suggest how they
might be dealt with. His advice was disre-
garded. and he was told to attend to the ai-
fairs of his own provinces. Then came the
Soudan war, aud being hopeessly beyond
relief, Emin Bey was first neglected ana
then forgotten. It is three years siIce he
has had any instructions OF any kind from
the Egyptian Government, though in 1886
he managed once or twice to communicate
with them. As rule what messages he sent
to Egypt or elsewhere have been intercept
ed. All that is known of his life during
these three years is derived from a few
private letter to friend in this country.
As several letters have been lost for the
one that has reached it's destination, the
narrative is not continuous.
Emin Bey has more then held his own
during these three years. There has been
fighting, but he has driven the enemy back,
sometimes after terrible struggles. He has
with him some four thousand troops, and
this ia how he writes of them, referring to
one OF these conflicts when his men were at
tackled from the north: "Deprived of the
most necessary things, fora long time with.
out any pay. my men fought valiantly: and
when at last hunger weakened then, when
after nineteen days of incredible privations
and sufferings. their strength was ex-
hausted, and when the last torn leather OF
the last boot had been eaten, then they cut
away through the midst OF their enemies
and succeeded in saving themselves" Now
Emin Bey is not a General Gordon,
=. i, xoor of Gardnr'a or, ond
when so modest and disinterested a CON-
mander writes in this fashion we may
he sure that his men have been
brave indeed. Now, do not let it be thought
that they stay there because they have
no option. Had Emin Bey cared to leave
the women and children to their fate and
the natives to the slave-traders, he could
have cut his way with the pick OF his men
to the Congo But Emin Bey never thought
of deserting his post because the Govern
ment had deserted him. Now, however, he
could not withdraw, if he wished to do
so. In his letters he said that he would en-
deavor by economizing to make his ammu'
nitibn last out this year. Without ammu-
nition he is at the mercy OF the first poten.
tate-such as the King OF Uganda-who
makes up his mind to annex the provinces.
The brave Austrian makes no demand on
the British Government for help. but he
aces and says that if a rebel force could be
sent to him it would save his life and save
the nroyinces. In letter, pathetic in it's
s;mplicity, he expresses hope that per-
haps his friends will %anags %s Dees do do e a%ma some
n;t;on. He worked so hard in his prov
ince that it grows for him all else that he
needs. ., tho
Epvntian equatorial provinces the cult'ya'
ton Of cotton, rice, indigo, coffee, etc. .nd ne
has made weavers of some OF them. anu
hootmakers of others. The soap he uses is
Of his own manufacture. In his very last
letter he told of his attempts to vaccina.e
his people. The death rate at the provinces
has been very high OF late. owing to an sP''
demic of smallpox. Hehas built a hosP'tsh;,, s;s
in which he spends tho better part o. o. has us
mornings. He is schoolmaster: ne nas
connected the different parts OF the prov,
inces by weekly posts, there be being ,ancS ,SFin in
90 short q space OF time that. with M!'aS y,
asaistancs. there must be great esrser. a..o o.
pssiulposs bsiovs hia,-1t 1ause' 0sses"'